TDTLBU Chapter Seventeen

 “It’s here,” Lissie said dully, staring down at the spoon on the counter in front of her. “They all said it wouldn’t happen, but it did.” 

“It was always a possibility,” Ronnie sighed. “I guess I always thought it would happen, even though I didn’t want to believe it.”

“But at least it’s in Europe and not here,” Lissie shoved the spoon away and rose stiffly. “Can we walk? I can’t make myself sit still right now.”

In answer, Ronnie rose and offered his arm. She took it and they threaded their way through the busy tables in the little restaurant. Pop’s was the most popular place in town for a cheeseburger or an ice cream soda. Ronnie and Lissie met there regularly, every Tuesday evening, as they had for a long, long time. But this Tuesday, Lissie wasn’t in the mood for ice cream sodas or cheeseburgers. She was afraid.

“I couldn’t believe it,” she murmured as they walked slowly down the sidewalk together. “When I heard the news yesterday… I…”

“I know.” Ronnie spoke quietly. “You don’t have to try and talk about it.”

“So… peaceful out here,” Lissie attempted a smile as they turned from the sidewalk onto Jefferson Green. “You’d hardly think there was a war going on.”

“On the other side of the ocean,” Ronnie grinned. “Half a world away. Don’t worry, Lissie… you’ll be alright. No matter what happens… we won’t let the war come here.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders reassuringly and she leaned against him with a sigh.

“Just don’t…” she began in a small voice and stopped herself. Ronnie looked down at her, understanding her unspoken words and yet asking anyway.

“Don’t what, Lissie?” He stopped there in the center of the park, moving to stand in front of her as she bowed her head, keeping her eyes on the ground. 

“Don’t go to war, Ronnie…” she whispered, her words barely audible. “Don’t leave me.”

“Lissie…” he didn’t answer. What could he say? The war had only just begun and no one could know what kind of effect it would have here. He hoped as everyone else did that Europe would fight out its own battles this time. Leave the US out of it. And yet he felt somewhere deep inside of himself that conflict was inevitable. That somehow, this time, it was just the same and yet it was different. It would be harder. Longer. That many a long and miserable year would pass before peace returned. Many lives lost… many tears cried…

…As Lissie was crying now. 

He reached out to wipe her tears away, his heart suddenly heavy. She wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face in his shoulder. He forgot that they were in the center of town where people could see them as he bent his head over hers, holding her close. 

✯✯✯

“Oh, it won’t be much,” Emma spoke carelessly, swinging her legs as she perched on the coffee table in the Hayes’ living room. Gone With the Wind lay open in her lap. Josh was on his back on the floor, arms crossed behind his head, legs propped up against the wall. “England ‘n France will smash Germany and it’ll go back into its proper place in no time at all.”

“You don’t believe that, do you?” Josh reached towards the plate of cookies on the coffee table and managed to snag one. 

“You’re going to choke if you eat that lying down, you nitwit,” Emma frowned at him.

“Then you can give me CPR,” Josh grinned. 

“Not likely,” Emma scoffed. “All you’d have to do is turn a couple of cartwheels and you’d be okay.”

“But what if I want CPR?” he protested.

“In answer to your question,” Emma added. “Your first one, that is… no, I don’t really believe it. Just trying to convince myself, that’s all. What would you do, Scout, if the Yanks joined up?”

“Join up with ‘em and go off soldiering, of course,” he answered promptly, eating three fourths of the cookie in one bite. “Shoot a bunch of Krauts and come home a hero.”

“You a hero?” Emma laughed. “Most likely you’d do something stupid and the Krauts would capture you and then decide you’re insane and stick you in a mental ward. Or perhaps turn you into some kind of secret super-weapon.”

“Secret super-weapon… I’d like that,” Josh stuffed the rest of the cookie in his mouth, gulped it down, and jumped to his feet. “Just wait’ll we join in! Those Krauts’ll never know what hit ‘em. Over there, over there…” he began singing off-key loudly. “The Yanks are coming, the Yanks are coming, the drums rum-tumming everywhere.”

Emma clapped her hands over her ears with a grimace as Josh marched in circles round the coffee table.

“So prepare, say a prayer, send the word, send the word to beware,” he mimed shooting a gun. At that opportune moment Jerry came bursting into the room, Katie on his heels. Without hesitation he joined in on the last line of the song and the boys finished in raucous chorus. 

“We’ll be over, we’re coming over, and we won’t come back till it’s over, over there!”  

“Don’t you dare,” Katie shook her head and sighed as she sank down on the coffee table next to Emma. “Josh too, eh?”

“Yup,” Emma picked up her book and buried her face in it. “I wonder how Lissie’s faring with Ronnie?” 

As if in answer to her question, they both entered the room, but so quietly that no one else noticed them for a few moments. Lissie’s face was stained with tears but she was smiling as she glanced around the room and then back up at Ronnie. Katie could tell without asking that Lissie’s smile was not a real one. Without a word she went to the older girl, giving her a quick hug. 

“It’s terribly noisy in here and Josh has eaten all the cookies, why don’t we go into the kitchen and find some more?” 

“What about Emma?” Lissie glanced in at her friend.

“Oh… she’s reading again… she won’t notice the noise,” Katie grinned. “Come on, we’ve got to get to those cookies before the boys find them. They’re chocolate chip.”

“Most of the misery of the world has been caused by wars,” Emma said suddenly, reading aloud from her book. “And when the wars were over…” her voice slowed. “No one… ever knew… what they were all about…” she closed the book as her voice trailed off, a strange expression crossing her face. “What time is it?”

“Eight thirty,” Josh squinted up at the clock. “Why?”

“Who’s up for a ramble in the orchard?” Emma stood abruptly, letting her book slide to the floor with a thud. “The fireflies are out. Let’s get Mickey and go have some fun.”

And so they did. It was one of the last beautiful evenings of summer and the stars were coming out in full abundance, rivaling the millions of twinkling lights from the fireflies. They were children still… and so they played, carefree and happy, not thinking about what the coming years might bring. Not knowing that the near future would change them into men and women far before their time, with eyes that had seen far too much and hearts that had broken far too often.